


Paopu for 2

by autumnplants



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Rating is subject to change, current axel/saix, past axel/roxas - Freeform, past hayner/roxas, past namine/roxas, past riku/sora - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-10-06 05:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20501342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumnplants/pseuds/autumnplants
Summary: What happens when you meet a guy on a dating app, who turns out to be the guy whom you had a huge crush on all throughout high school and happens to be your older brother's best friend.





	1. Chapter 1

Roxas, however, wasn’t convinced that using the app was going to help him find a date, let alone his soulmate, as Xion had lightly put it. He was always busy with work; having photos to edit, photoshoots to plan for a photography blog to upkeep and making sure he had enough time to eat between the two. When he wasn’t busy with work, he tried to make time to see his family.

But that wasn’t enough to convince his best friend.

Opening the app, Roxas pushed his glasses further up his nose and started to look through ‘Way2Dawn’ profile. The profile picture was just a torso shot, with the person, whom Roxas hoped was Way2Dawn, shirt pulled up to show off his toned stomach. He bit his lip as he looked over the photo, eyes running over abs and lines that lead down into jeans that laid very, very low on the person’s hips.

Clearing his throat and rolling his eyes, Roxas moved onto the next picture which was a picture of a very sweet calico cat named Milo. Most of Way2Dawn’s photos were of Milo and what looked to be the local Science Museum. His eyebrows furrowed as he studied the photo, taking in what looked to be the Space exhibit.

So Way2Dawn was interested in Space. Cool.

Stopping at a few more pics of cats, a planetarium event and a cute dog whose name was Bear, Roxas was starting to grow interested. Despite his typical frat boy profile picture, Way2Dawn seemed to be living a very interesting life.

Included in his photos were pictures of the stars and explanations of the constellations, an impressive old movie collection and what looked to be Way2Dawn wearing a very well fitted suit and a caption that read ‘think if I wear a Legend of Zelda tie, my students will call me a nerd?’ which meant he was a teacher.

Scrolling through more pictures of constellations and Milo, Roxas stopped by a picture of a bookcase which was heavily decorated with Halloween decorations and a caption that ‘Halloween is the best time of the year, don’t @ me.’

But it wasn’t the spooky decor that had caught Roxas’ attention, but the impressive collection of Sora Strife, his older brother’s, books. Some of the books were works he had written and self-published on Amazon, long before he was signed onto a publisher, while others were more recent books of his. He wondered if Way2Dawn knew he had swiped right on Sora Strife’s younger brother.

Swiping through more pictures of Milo and what looked to be Way2Dawn’s office in October, Roxas set his phone down for a moment so he could rub his eyes. He took a moment to stretch and get himself something to drink before returning to his desk. His black cat Luna jumped into his lap and started to rub her face against Roxas’ hand.

“Hi sweetie, what do you think? Should we swipe right? He likes cats and he’s kind of a nerd.” Roxas explained showing the cat Way2Dawn’s profile. Luna just rubbed her face against the phone making her laugh. He scratched behind her ears before pressing a kiss to the top of her head before gently setting her on the floor. He started to chew on his lip as his thumb hovered over the swipe option. What was the worse that was going to happen? He decided Roxas wasn’t what he wanted? He turned out to be a creepy stalker who only wanted to kidnap Roxas so he could get closer to Sora.

Leaning back Roxas rolled his eyes at himself. There was no reason for him to not at lease _talk_ to this person. He took a deep breath and swiped his thumb right. He really needed to stop being so paranoid.

Setting his phone so he could lean back and stretch, he jumped when his phone went off again. Grabbing his phone, Roxas couldn’t help but smile when he saw that Way2Dawn had messaged him.

Roxas opened the app and tapped the little envelope with a notification on it’s top right corner.

**Way2Dawn says:** Is that a cat toy on your bookcase or is that a stylistic choice?

**xXxOblivionxXx:** Ah, it was a stylistic choice by my interior designer, I can refer you? She’s paw-some.

**Way2Dawn:** She sounds absolutely purr-fect.

**xXxOblivionxXx:** She is purr-fect, so purr-fect that I’m afraid I’m too selfish to share

**Way2Dawn:** Ha, fair enough. So… what do you like to do for fun?

Roxas couldn’t help but laugh at the generic question. What did he like to do for fun? It was such a broad question, but it made sense for someone to ask.

**xXxOblivionxXx:** Uh, there’s a few things, lol. I mainly hang out with friends, spend time with family. If you specific details, I like to skateboard, play with Luna, have game nights with my friends. Sometimes if I don’t have a photoshoot to attend or edit, I’ll go on hikes and take photos. What about you?

_ **Way2Dawn is typing…** _

**Way2Dawn: **skateboarding? That’s awesome, I’ve always wanted to skateboard, but I could never get my balance right. Luna’s your cat right? She’s adorable! Me? Oh, um, I like hiking, swimming, I teach a class at the Planetarium during the Summer on top of teaching Astronomy 101 at the local high school and I absolutely love camping. Especially at night so I can lay out on the grass and look up at the stars while thinking about life

**xXxOblivionxXx:** Skateboarding isn’t hard, you just have to figure what balance works best for you. I could teach you sometime? Hold your hands while you learn your balance. Luna is the sweetest cat I have ever met in my life. I’m really glad I adopted her. Oh the Planetarium on Main St? My older brother and I used to go there all the time when we were younger. You’re a teacher? What grade do you teach?

**Way2Dawn: **I feel like teaching me to skateboard is just an excuse to hold my hands lol. She seems sweet! My cat Milo is an absolute terror, but is sweet when she wants to be. Yeah! Oh neat! I used to work at the gift shop with my best friend growing up. I teach seniors, which sometimes is awful because they have a horrible tendency to have senioritis, but I honestly can’t blame them, ya know? They’re almost done with school! Anyone would be tired of having to attend.

**xXxOblivionxXx:**:o you caught me! I have a thing for soft hands alright? That’s the calico right? In your pictures? She’s beautiful, I don’t believe for a second that’s a terror! Oh yeah? That’s awesome, my brother worked there with his best friend for a couple summers too! Man, I remember my senior year so vividly. I skipped class so many times. Lol.

The two continued to message each other back and forth, as Roxas started to work on things around the house, cleaning his dishes and finishing the edits he needed for the wedding photos he was working on. 

Everytime he heard his phone go off, he quickly grabbed it up to read and reply to Way2Dawn’s messages. 

As the afternoon faded into evening and more messages were exchanged, Roxas moved around the apartment, cleaning it up as he did every evening before Xion got home.

Every time his phone notified him of a new message, he rushed to it to read a new message from his new conquest (?). Their conversation flowed naturally as they talked about their likes, dislikes, their possible plans for the future and the advantages vs. disadvantages of their jobs. 

As he settled into the couch after cleaning his dishes, his phone chimed again and he opened the app to read the latest message from Way2Dawn.

**Way2Dawn:**my roommate just came home and is demanding we go out for dinner, so I wanted to ask before we headed out and I forgot, do you wanna get coffee sometime?

**xXxOblivionxXx:** oh yeah, that sounds fun, how does next Friday sound?

_ **Way2Dawn is typing …** _

**Way2Dawn:** Friday is perfect! Let’s say… 3? I have Fridays off, so anytime works for me, but 3 is right after lunch rush.

**xXxOblivionxXx:** Friday at 3 works for me! At Moogle Cafe? Or should we meet at Chocobo Landing?

**Way2Dawn:** Moogle Cafe works for me! I’ll see you then?

**xXxOblivionxXx:** Yeah! See you then!

Roxas grinned as he read over the messages and the time and date that he and way2dawn had planned. Closing out of the app, Roxas held the phone to his chest and sighed. He couldn’t believe it. Not only did way2dawn seemed incredibly sweet and intelligent, but if the photos on his profile were anything to go by, he was super fit. He just hoped the face matched the rest of his body. Which seemed shallow to Roxas, but at the same time, he hadn’t seen the guys face and it would’ve sucked to have so much chemistry with someone only to not be physically attracted to him.

He reached down and picked up Luna who was sitting next to the chair, patiently waiting for Roxas to pay attention to her. He nuzzled his face into her fur before rubbing his chin against the top of her head. “I can’t believe it Luna.” He said softly.

“Can’t believe what?” came Xion’s voice as she walked into the living room, hanging up her purse and placing her keys in the outside pocket. She fell to the adjacent couch, resting her arm over her eyes as Luna pounced from Roxas’ arms to her lap. She looked over at the cat and scratched behind her ears.

“How was work?” Roxas decided to ask instead of indulging into the details of his upcoming date just yet.

Xion glared at Roxas playfully before sighing. “It was work, ya know? Stuck up models, feisty fashion designers who think their work is the only work that matters. I’m almost done with the paperwork for my store, so it’s like the light at the end of the tunnel, I just have to sign the lease and get the decor done. How was your day?”

Roxas shrugged as he looked at his phone already missing talking to his new companion. “Well, I got the editing done that I needed to. Tomorrow is gonna be printing and compressing them to a flash drive for the married couple and sending them off. I cleaned the house. Oh, and I have a date next week thanks to that app you signed me up on.” he said holding up his phone and shaking it lightly.

Xion stares at Roxas and it was like the stress she was feeling from her day at work rolled off her shoulders at the news that her best friend had a date. She grinned widely and moved to the couch he was sitting on and grabbed his hands. “See? I told you! Tell me about this guy, what’s his name?” She asked excitedly.

Roxas’ smile fell when he realized that he never got Way2Dawn’s name. Sure he could always ask when they talked again, but he was so wrapped up in talking with him that he had slipped his mind.

“Well, you see… I, uh never asked for his name.” He said, his shoulder raising up to hide his cheek.

Xion stared at him before letting out a sigh. “How did you forget to get his name? When is this date Roxas? Please tell you guys at least agreed on a public place.” She said.

Roxas nodded his furiously. “Yeah, of course. We’re going to Moogle Cafe! I know you’re worried, but you could come with? Sit a few tables away to make sure things work out?” He gave his best friend a hopeful look and clapped his hands together when Xion agreed that she’d feel better if she could show up.

“Okay, now that we have that all sorted ...what are you gonna wear?” Xion asked as she placed her head on his hand. 

Roxas shrugged, “I don’t know? My usual date attire, you know? The vest over the black v-neck, my nice jeans that make ass look nice.” 

Xion looked at him and shook her head, “No unacceptable.” She got up and rushed to his room to look through his closet, Luna trailing behind her.

Roxas groaned and ran a hand over his face. This was gonna end in disaster. 

Once Xion was finished raiding Roxas’ closet for the perfect outfit, they settled back onto the couch. She held out her hand and turned to Roxas, “Gimme, I wanna see this hot guy you landed.” she grinned. 

“Yeah okay. I’m telling you now, he has no pictures of his face. He could be ugly.” Roxas said as he unlocked his phone and handed it off to Xion. 

Xion grinned excitedly as she started to scroll through Way2Dawn’s photos. She gasped as she stopped at one of the photos before thrusting the phone in Roxas’ direction. 

“I thought you said he didn’t have any photos of himself!” she said excitedly.

“Because when I was looking through his profile, he didn’t have one,” Roxas explained as he looked at the picture. The person in the photo was in a typical Myspace, scene kid pose, with long black fringed bangs covering his eyes. Snake bite hoops were placed on his bottom lip and his nose was pierced with a hoop. 

Roxas tilted his head to the side and made a face, “Is it just me or does this look like… Riku?” he asked incredulously. 

Xion shifted on the couch to get a better look at the picture and shook her head, “Nah, that’s not Riku. He didn’t have black hair back then did he?” she asked zooming in on the photo. 

Roxas shrugged, “I honesty, I don’t know? I didn’t see him during college… I spent most of my time with the gang and Namine.” he sighed. 

Xion bit her lip as she studied the side of Roxas’ face before she locked the phone and handed it back. “You’re over thinking things, this is not Riku. You can tell by the piercings. You remember how he used to say he’d never want to put holes in his face. Remember?” she said with a laugh. 

Roxas bit his lip as he nodded his head trying to bite back the laughter that was bubbling in his chest. “God he was so pretentious! I’m gonna be a model one day! I can’t ruin my perfect face! I still can’t believe Sora puts up with him.” 

Xion let out a snort, “I can’t believe you had a crush on him for what? 3 years?” she asked. 

Roxas groaned covering his face, “I spent all of my teenage years pining after my brother’s boyfriend. I’m so embarrassed.” he laughed. 

“At least until you met Namine and then dated Hayner, then went on sabbatical forever.” Xion teased. 

Roxas shrugged his shoulder, “Yeah, well, you kind of stop wanting to date when your best friend cheats on you. Sabbatical seemed like a good idea after a long time friendship ended.” he sighed. 

Xion gave him a small smile and squeezed his arm. “Yeah, but you’re getting out there and dating again. I’m proud of you! And maybe this Way2dawn, person, is the one!” she said. 

“Hah, yeah, okay. Not everyone meets their soulmate on the first date Xion.” Roxas laughed. 

“Look, Demyx is great. It’s okay to admit your jealous.” Xion said pretending to be shocked when Roxas threw a pillow at her. 

“Oh definitely jealous of that awful mullet he calls a hairstyle.” Roxas laughed when the same pillow he threw at Xion made contact with his face. 

He sighed and took Xion’s hand a squeeze. “I’m going to bed. I have an early shoot tomorrow and I promised mom I’d stop by for lunch. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.” he stood up and headed to his room as Xion wished him a good night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all mistakes are my own.  
please check tags before continuing.

Roxas stared at the clock and let out another sigh as he tried to refocus on the task at hand.

The past week flew by but when Roxas finally reached the day of his date with Way2Dawn, it felt like time was passing at a snail’s pace.

He had an hour to kill before he could start getting ready for his date and each slow passing second, was going to kill him.

It didn’t help that Way2Dawn had given Roxas his number and they had chatted non-stop up to the day of their date. They both agreed the night before that they shouldn’t text as much so they’d have something to talk about during their date.

Roxas was starting to regret that decision now as he glanced at his phone to see if he had received any messages. His day felt so unproductive and he was getting a sense of antisocialness due to his lack of contact with his new conquest.

“How are ya doing on those shots?” Xion asked as she peeked her head into Roxas’ office. Xion had asked Roxas to do a photo shoot for her website and for her upcoming shop opening and Roxas, without hesitation, agreed.

“Are you asking because you’re generally curious or are you asking to see if the wait to start getting ready is killing me? Because I can confirm the latter is happening, I am slowly withering away to nothing as each minute passes slowly.” Roxas said dramatically leaning back in his chair. 

Xion rolled her eyes before entering the room and taking a seat on the vacant chair that was situated in the corner of the room, “a little bit of both?” She grinned.

Roxas huffed and rolled his eyes, but the affectionate smile that graced his lips gave him away, “I have a majority of them cropped. I’m not sure how heavily you want them edited and filtered, but I think they would look fantastic in black and white, what do you think?” he asked showing her the work he had finished.

Xion scrolled through the pictures, stopping to examine certain ones that she felt needed a closer look. “Hmm, can I see what the black and white would look like?” she asked him.

Roxas hummed and quickly got to work making each photo into a black and white filters.

“Hmm, these two look good in black and white, but these ones don’t. What other filters could you put on them?” Xion asked as she flickered through the pictures once more.

Over the next hour, Roxas edited the photos, adding different filters and changing the brightness and contrast to obtain the best aesthetic choices.

Xion finally settled on two black and white photos and three purple and white photos for her grand opening for her store.

“Oh, it’s time for you to get ready, do you need me to grab anything for you? The iron or the air steamer?” Xion asked as she glanced at her watch.  
Roxas shook his head as he saved his progress and shut down his laptop, “Nah, I ironed my clothes this morning and hung them up in my bathroom so Luna didn’t get any ideas.” He laughed and headed into his bedroom.

He grabbed the clothes off the back of his bathroom door and quickly got changed. He straightened out his shirt and patted down his jeans before slipping on his shoes.

Combing his hands through his hair, Roxas applied a small amount of gel to style his hair the way he liked. Once he was satisfied with how his hair was styled, he spritzed it with some hair spray just to make sure his hair didn’t fall.

Roxas patted down his shirt and made sure his jeans didn’t look baggy and headed out into the living room, “How do I look?” He asked.

Xion examines what he was wearing and motioned her finger in a circular motion requesting to turn around.

“You look amazing, your ass looks fantastic. Honestly, if I was this guy, I’d kiss you on the first date.” She grinned.

Roxas rolled his eyes before grabbing everything he needed before he left. He unlocked his phone and sent a quick message to Way2Dawn, stating that he was on his way.

“Alright, well, I’m heading out. Wish me luck.” Roxas have Xion a nervous grin and a thumbs up before walking out the door.

A “good luck!” followed him out the door.

The drive to the designated café did nothing for Roxas but make the butterflies in his stomach, wake up and start fluttering in a frenzy. What if this guy was just a creepy stalker fan who was going to kidnap him to get close to Sora? Or what if he was his soulmate, his one true love?

The second thought made the stomach butterflies pick up their speed.

“Okay Roxas, get yourself together. It’s just the first date. You may not even like this guy. No need to start thinking about soul mates. You’re getting ahead of yourself.” Roxas told himself as he searched for a decent parking spot.

Once he parked, Roxas took a moment to make sure his hair was okay and to straighten out his clothes. He took another deep breath and mumbled, “you can do this!’ to himself before getting out of the car and heading inside.

“Oh hey Roxas! Where’s Xion? You two are usually glued to the hip? You getting your usual?” Cindy, one of the waitresses whom Roxas had gotten to know due to Xion’s coffee fix. She was a bit older than Roxas and Xion, but seemed old enough to be Roxas’ older sister. She was sweet too and always gave them the best service.

Xion always teased Roxas for the tips her gave her, always saying he could ask her out sometime. Roxas just rolled his eyes and stopped bothering to explain that the tips were because Cindy was going to college and could use the money for books; not because she was a pretty face.

He waved to Cindy and shook his head, “Not today, though she may stop by. I’m actually here to meet with someone. Could I get a booth for two?” He asked.

Cindy gasped with excitement, “Look at you! Are you finally getting out there again? Xion was telling me she signed you up for one of those dating apps! What's his name, what does he look like?” She asked excitedly.

“Well, you see, um, I don’t actually know? When we talked he never gave me his name and I never really asked either. Kind of like a blind date.” Roxas said as he scratched the back of his neck. He gave Cindy a toothy grin as Cindy placed her hands on her hips.

“Oh sweetie, well, at least you’re here, where I can keep an eye on ya, you know the secret drinks ya?” Cindy asked him.

“Yup! The chocobo and the Leviathan, right?” Roxas asked for confirmation.

Cindy giggled and reached over and ruffled his hair which caused Roxas to yelp and swat at Cindy’s hands playfully.

“C’mon you, your favorite table is vacant. Good luck on your blind date.” Cindy said grabbing two menus and leading Roxas to the table.

Roxas’ favorite table was situated in the back of the cafe by the giant window looking out on downtown. He took a seat and asked Cindy for a water before looking out the window. He took out his phone and sent a message to Way2Dawn, letting his date know he had arrived.

Way2Dawn: I’m looking for a parking spot now!

Roxas’ heart dropped into his stomach and the butterflies in his stomach started to flutter in a frenzy again. He took a sip of his water and took a deep breath. Everything was going to work out. First dates were sometimes awkward, there was no avoiding that.

He took another sip as he heard the bell above the door and her Cindy greet whoever walked in. He licked his lips as he fought the urge to look over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of who Cindy was talking to.

His heart rate sped up as heard Cindy say, “he’s waiting for you by the back window.” He started to tap his fingers against the table top as his heart fought against his chest.

Time seemed to go so slow for Roxas and it came crashing back at the speed of light when a very familiar voice reached his ears.

You got enough x’s in your username Roxas?

Roxas turned to face his date and he could feel the blood drain from his face. There stood Riku, once shoulder length silver hair was cut into a stylish undercut. His hands were in the pockets of his dark washed jeans and a simple gray long sleeve shirt that hugged his chest and arms.

Clearing his throat as if it’d calm his racing heart, Roxas quipped back, “well you know, once a scene kid, always a scene kid.”

Riku chuckled and a small playful smirk formed on his lips. “Do you mind if I have a seat?” He asked motioning to the table.

Roxas nodded and cleared his throat, “Oh, yeah, please.” He moved his water closer and wished he could be absorbed into the booth seat. He watched as Riku took a seat, smiling up at Cindy as she took his drink order.

He took in the stubble that lined Riku’s face, the curve of his jaw that was still as strong as it was when Riku was eighteen. His blue-green eyes were still sweet and soft as ever and that damn smirk that adorned his face, made Roxas feel like he was 13 again.

Roxas could remember the exact moment his fifteen year old self developed a crush on his older brother’s best friend.

It was the weekend of Sora’s eighteenth birthday and the oldest Fair boy was able to convince their parents to leave for the weekend, giving Sora and Roxas the house to themselves.

Their fathers had made them promise not to throw any wild parties and in return, they both could have one friend over while they were gone.

Roxas has invited his best friend Hayner, while Sora, naturally, invited Riku. After all, they were best friends and were almost inseparable.

The four boys decided to spend Sora’s birthday outside in the Fair’s backyard where there was the inground pool and hot tub that neither Sora or Roxas were able to indulge in when their parents were around.

The first sign of his crush was the way his heart dropped when Hayner jokingly said; “Ya know they’re totally gonna make out in the hot tub when we go inside.” he tried to shrug it off as being disgusted with his brother kissing someone, like any 13 year old kid would. He punched his best friend’s shoulder with a, ‘Ew, gross Hayner!’ to follow.

The second sign was when Riku walked up to them to grab a towel after swimming around in the pool, droplets of water racing down his arms, sliding around the curves of his defined arms and torso, all results of playing Varsity Baseball for four years 

“Sup Roxas? You excited to start high school?” Riku asked as he wrapped the towel around his head and ruffled it to dry his hair.

Roxas’ face flushed and a shiver ran down his spine. He felt a weird tight feeling pool into his stomach and his face turned a deep red at the realization that his swim shorts were unnaturally tight. “Y-Yeah, it’s gonna be g-great.” he stuttered out.

In an attempt to avoid anymore of the awkward confrontation, which would inevitably lead to some very, very awkward situations if he continued to sit on the chair. So he quickly stood up and headed out to the edge of the pool. He quickly jumped in, allowing the water to cool off his overly heated skin. 

It was later that night when Hayner and Roxas headed inside to indulge in cold pizza and video games that the third and final clue reared its ugly head.

“Oh gross. They’re making out!” Hayner said as he peeked out the window, motioning for Roxas to come join him. When he peered out the window, sure enough, his older brother and his best friend were making out by the pool.

Riku had Sora pinned up against the side of the pool house, Sora’s legs wrapped around his waist and his hands were entangled in wet silver hair. Riku’s hands were on his thighs, holding him up and Roxas couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to be in Sora’s position.

“You owe me ten bucks, pay up.” Hayner hit his arm a playful grin on his face.

“Five you said it’d be in the hot tub, they’re against the pool house.” Roxas ignored how hard his heart was thumping in his chest as he went to grab his wallet from his desk.

“Oh man!” Hayner groaned as Roxas slapped a five dollar bill into his hand.

With one last glance at Sora and Riku, Roxas turned back and challenged him to a round of Mario Kart.

“Roxas, hey Roxas, you okay? Looks like you went somewhere just now.” Riku said, a look of concern on his face.

Roxas stared at him before letting out a nervous chuckle, “Sorry, I just. My thirteen year old self is screaming, right now. I-i had the biggest crush on you growing up and you’re here, now, I just, I’m scared but relieved?” He asked tilting his head.

Riku raised an eyebrow, “Relieved?”

Roxas huffed and another small round of nervous chuckles bubbled into his throat, “Yeah, when I saw all of Sora’s books, I thought maybe you were some sort of stalker planning to kidnap me.” He explained.

Riku laughed, pressing his hand to his stomach as he covered his mouth with his free hand, “I mean, to be fair, I still could be, Sora and I could’ve had an awful fight and to get back at him, I kidnapped his little bro.” he teased.

Rolling his eyes at Riku, Roxas chewed on his lip as he tried not to smile, “Speaking of my brother, does he know you’re here? On a date with me? Last we had heard you two were still together.” He asked grabbing his water and taking a sip.

Riku leaned back in his chair, playing with the straw wrapper and chuckled, “Sora and I have dated since freshman year of college. We dated all that summer, but then decided it just wasn’t for us. Nothing had changed, except the realization that we didn’t love each other romantically. He and I are still best friends though and we see each other every week. It was actually when I found your profile and swiped right as it were, I told him I was planning on pursuing you.” He explained.

Roxas’ face contorted into one of confusion. So Riku had told Sora. And Sora said nothing to him about it. Which was odd because they talked to each other about everything. Unless Sora didn’t want to ruin the surprise? Or maybe this was some sort of weird joke between them. Rub it in Roxas’ face that he’s liked Riku since he was a teen and stupidly decided to go on a date with him. The thought made his blood start to boil and his anxiety set into his chest, but he took a moment to shake the thought out of his head. Anxiety was a real bitch and he knew Sora couldn’t do that to him.

“So, what have you been up to?” Roxas asked, wincing internally at how awkward the question sounded.

Riku seemed to perk up at the question, which seemed to tame Roxas’ anxiety a bit. “Well, as you’ve seen on my profile, I have been preparing for the upcoming school year; getting class supplies ready, finding the perfect projects for my students, making sure I have a good syllabus ready, the whole nine yards, ya know? This year is the year I’m supposed to get tenured, so we’ll see where that goes,” he explained as Cindy walked up to them to take their order. Roxas ordered fries while Riku got himself a pepsi and a salad.

“That’s awesome. You seem really passionate about teaching. What grade do you teach? You teach science right?” Roxas asked as ran his thumbs down the sides of his glass, making streaks in the condensation that had built up there. His heart warmed seeing Riku’s face light up at the subject of his teaching and he immediately started talking about the different sciences and which one he taught at Twilight Town High. He then jumped into his all time favorite science which was astronomy.

“It's one of my favorite segments I get to teach and the students love it. I plan a trip to the Planetarium every year and it’s great to see the students just light up when they get to interact with the stars.” Riku explained.

Roxas nodded as he listened, watching the way Riku’s eyes lit up as he talked about something he was so passionate about. He remembered late nights of hearing him and Sora climbing onto the roof when their dads were asleep and they would stargaze. He also recalled being incredibly envious of them both, wanting nothing more to join them.

“I haven’t been to the planetarium in such a long time.” Roxas mentioned offhandedly. Maybe he’d take some time off and go. He had been meaning to take a vacation as soon as Xion’s store opened. Maybe he’d go then. 

“It’s a lot different than when we were kids, they expanded it and now they have a segment about the Moon phases, it’s really cool, we should go sometime.” Riku grinned.

Roxas nodded, not even trying to fight the smile on his face, “yeah! If you want.” He said, chewing on his lip. 

The conversation shifted as Riku started asking questions about his career and his hobbies.

Roxas went into elaborate detail the collaboration that he and Xion had agreed upon and how Xion was getting ready to open her store featuring his photography.

“No way, do you examples of your work? I’d love to see it!’ Riku lit up as Cindy came waltzing over to take their orders and refill their drinks. Roxas got a buffalo chicken salad while Riku opted for a BLT sandwich with fries, “You fellas need anything else?” she asked grinning. 

Roxas shook his head no as Riku replied with a ‘no thanks’. “Y’all just holler if ya need me alright?” she asked before going to help another table. 

Grabbing out his phone, Roxas looked through his photo gallery for his professional photo folder before handing it over to Riku, “A lot of it’s weddings and senior portraits. My aesthetic I guess is super popular for brides, so I’m usually booked for Spring and Summer.” he explained as he took a sip of his water. 

Riku swiped through the pictures, more impressed as he passed each one. “Wow, these ones of Sora are amazing!” he said holding up the phone. It was one of the many portraits, Sora had asked Roxas to shoot for him when his books came out. He was standing in front of a window that was lined with plants and his cat Binx was curled up on his shoulders. 

Roxas chuckled and took his phone back to get a better look at the image, “Sora is super photogenic, always has been. Don’t tell anyone but this is for his upcoming book.” he grinned pocketing his phone. 

They continued to make small talk until their food arrived, the nervousness Roxas was feeling was slowly starting to melt away.

Cindy set their food in front of them and asked if they needed anything before she walked off to her next table.

It was quiet for a few moments as the started to eat before Riku started asking Roxas questions about his life. He asked Roxas more about his photography, mainly on how he grew interested in photography. 

Roxas face lit up at the opportunity to discuss his career. 

“I was on the yearbook committee in high school. Took some nice aesthetic photos for the yearbook and my senior year I decided to pursue it as my major..” He explained stabbing a piece of chicken with his fork.

“You seem to really have a passion for it. It shows in your work. Plus you’re incredibly talented. Your work is incredible. Seriously, I can see why Sora doesn’t trust anyone else to do his portraits.” Riku’s complimented, which made Roxas’ ears tint pink.

“Thanks, if it wasn’t for Sora, I probably wouldn’t have gotten into photography to begin with.” Roxas admitted. Sora had snuck a peak at Roxas’ yearbook photos and encouraged him to take the class.

That Christmas, Sora had received his first bonus from his book and used it to buy Roxas a really nice camera for personal use. Not that the schools really cared what the students used their cameras for, so long as all the photos had been deleted when they were returned.

They continued to talk as they ate, talking about their lives outside of their work and what their hobbies were. Riku was an avid reader and loved watching true ghost and crime shows. 

Roxas liked to skateboard, but most of the time was curled up on the couch with Luna and Xion, watching scary movies or obscure documentaries about cryptids in the wild.

Conversation moved from topic to topic, with small flirty quips thrown at each other as they ate and when they were finished their plates stacked to the side, Riku grabbed the dessert menu and started to look through it. “Wanna split a cookie pan?” he asked looking at Roxas over the menu, eyebrow cocked just the tiniest bit. 

“Oh sure! If you want,” he said breathlessly as Riku’s foot rubbed against his shin. He watched Riku’s face and wondered how he could be so cool and collected while he was active flirting with him under the table. He could feel his cheeks burn and prayed that his cheeks weren’t a bright pink. 

Riku set the menu down before catching Cindy’s attention and motioning for her to come to their table. 

“You guys ready for dessert?” Cindy asked when she noticed the dessert menu sitting in front of Riku, “What can I get ya guys?” she asked them already having her order pad out and ready. 

“The cookie pan please.” Riku answered, winking at Roxas as he placed the menu back where he had found it. 

“Alright cuties, I’ll have that out in just a moment and I’ll get this rung up and I’ll bring your check.” Cindy promised as she gave look to Roxas which caused his face to burn hotter. 

Riku’s attention was back to Roxas as his foot rubbed against his date’s leg. Roxas shivered at the contact and gave Riku a small smile as he fidgeted his hands under the table. He took a sip of his water as he moved his leg so Riku had better access. 

“So other than looking at the stars and watching true crime shows, what else kind of trouble do you get into?” Roxas asked resting his chin in his hand, his other resting on the table. 

Riku smirked as he mirrored Roxas’ actions, “Going on dates with cute guys like you.”

“That was so cheesy,” Roxas laughed. 

“Would it be cheesy for me to say that I like your laugh?” Riku asked again leaning more into the table.

Roxas ducked his head to hide the blush on his face. When was the last time someone made him react this way? Was it Namine? Or maybe Hayner? Or maybe it was… not that it mattered now. He didn’t want to keep living in the past, which is why he had agreed to use the app in the first place. 

“It’s incredibly cheesy, but that’s okay. Cheesy is fun, especially if it’s with hot guys.” Roxas grinned. 

They continued to flirt and talk until the cookie pan was delivered, filling their senses. Two scoops of ice cream laid melting over the giant cookie and Roxas could feel his mouth water. 

“This looks fantastic.” Roxas said as he grabbed a spoon and scooped up some ice cream and cookie. He watched as steam danced from the cookie and he blew on it gently to cool it down so he could eat it.

Once he was positive the cookie wouldn’t burn his mouth, Roxas ate his bite and let out a small noise of approval.

“Can confirm, this is fantastic.” He said with a laugh.

Riku grinned as he scooped his own bite with his spoon and took a bite after it cooled down a bit.

They ate their dessert, talking and flirting in between bites that were too hot to eat.

Cindy returned to fill the drinks and dropped off the check which Riku quickly grabbed and placed his card inside. 

Roxas tried to protest, but Riku refused to listen to his arguments. 

“You can pay for the next one.” He stayed as he handed the check to Cindy.

Once their meal was paid for, Riku and Roxas stood up from the table, “Can I walk you to your car?” Riku asked reaching for Roxas’ hand.

Roxas could feel his face burning as he let Riku take his hand and nodded, “yeah, that would be nice.”

They walked out the diner, waving good-bye to Cindy. Hands brushed against each other as they walked and Roxas grew the courage to grab Riku’s hand, letting Riku lace their fingers together slowly. 

“Oh here I am.” Roxas stated as they reached his car. He turned to Riku and gave him a small smile, “I had a nice time.” He said.

Riku nodded, “Yeah, I did too. We’ll have to plan our next date soon?” He asked.

Roxas bit his lip and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll text you. Oh before we go, can I get a picture with you? My roommate is gonna want proof that I wasn’t ghosted” He rolled his eyes. Riku agreed and they stood together and took a quick photo, Roxas pulled closely into Riku’s side. 

“Thanks Riku, I’ll see you later?” he asked. 

Riku nodded, but didn’t make any notion to start heading to his car. 

Roxas raised an eyebrow at Riku but before he had the chance to say anything at all, Riku dipped down a little so they were face to face, “Would it be okay if I kissed you?” he asked softly, teal eyes darting between Roxas’ blue ones and his mouth.

“Y-Yeah, that’d be okay,” Roxas stuttered out which only made matters worse when his breath caught in his throat at the small, shy smirk Riku gave him before pressing their mouths together in a gentle kiss. 

Roxas kissed back resting his hands on Riku’s chest as Riku’s chest rested on the middle of his back. They parted after a moment, only for Riku to peck his lips one more time before heading back to his car with a grin and a wave. 

Leaning back against his car, Roxas felt his lips tingle where Riku’s used to be. 

——

Roxas couldn’t fight the grin on his face as he made his way to the front door of his apartment. He headed inside and locked the door, letting out a content sigh, touching his lips that were still tingly from the kiss with Riku. 

“I take it, your date went well?” Xion asked from the couch where she was focusing on what looked to be one of her shirts that recently acquired a hole where the sleeve met the shoulder. 

Luna was curled up on the opposite couch and Roxas made his way over, picking up his cat and placing her on his lap. 

“Xion, you’re not going to believe this.” Roxas said staring at his best friend.

Roxas watched as Xion stopped what she was doing to look up at him, her eyebrows furrowed. “I won’t believe what?” She asked him,

Licking his lips, Roxas scooted to the edge of the couch and stared at Xion before he started speaking.

“I was just on a date with fucking Riku Abernathy.” He said licking his lips as he waited for Xion’s reaction. 

Xion’s head shot up at the name and she tossed her project to the coffee table, “What?! Are you serious?” she asked him, her eyes wide. 

Roxas nodded as a grin formed on his face, “Xion this is such a weird dream come true. Despite it being completely awkward at first, he was so sweet. I was so shocked, honestly I’m still in shock I think.” he said patting his cheeks gently. 

“Roxas, this is crazy? I don’t believe it? I need proof.” Xion shook her head. Roxas didn’t blame her, after all he was still questioning whether or not Riku liked him. 

“I have proof,” he said grabbing out his phone and going to his gallery. He pulled up the picture of him and Riku and showed it to Xion. 

Xion’s eye’s widened as she looked over the picture, “Oh my God, Roxas he’s fucking hot. What the hell? What happened to him?” she asked handing it back to Roxas. 

Roxas shrugged as he looked at the photo on his phone. He sighed before pocketing his phone and looked at his roommate, “I honestly don’t know. He played, what baseball all throughout high school and college, I’m sure he probably works out a lot.” he sighed. 

“So what’s he like now?” Xion asked. 

Roxas jumped into how his date went and how at the end of it, Riku had kissed him.

“Oh my God? Please tell me your inner fifteen year old is dying right now? The guy you’ve been obsessed over since high school kissed you.” Xion said with a squeal and a huge grin on her face. 

Roxas rolled his eyes, “ I was not obsessed with him in high school.” he defended. 

Xion matched his eyeroll with her own as she grabbed the shirt she had been sewing, “Right, who else was it in high school before Namine? Oh right, it was Axel.” she said, snapping her fingers. 

Roxas stilled at the name, but let it roll off his shoulders before getting up off the couch. “Either way, I’m over him and if things go well, I may or may not have a new boyfriend in the next couple weeks. I’m going to take a shower before I call Sora.” he said. 

“Don’t think about Riku too much in there.” Xion called as Roxas started ascending the stairs. 

Roxas groaned loudly which caused Xion to laugh. 

Sometimes, he hated his roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me so long to write this chapter. Some life things happened and I ended up moving and during all that I lost my muse. 
> 
> Now that I'm settled into my new home, I'll be hopefully updating more often. 
> 
> no worries, rikuroku is going to be end game. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my next story! I didn't heavily edit it, so if there's mistakes, i'm sorry D: 
> 
> Please let me know what you guys think about it!
> 
> I hope you guys like it! <3


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